Tale of two Muslim Feminists

The so-called “women Rights” supporters in the West – have the habit of projecting feminists around the world, who provide cover to western exploitation of female population. The Muslim woman, who received the glowing tributes from many immoral secularist and anti-Islam political leaders and ‘intellectuals’ – was Iranian Shirin Ebadi, who even received Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 – for her criticism of Islamic regime in Iran.

Pity, our Canadian feminist, Irshad Manji, the lesbian darling of anti-Islam Jewish groups – missed her Nobel Peace Prize. Canadian Jewish academic, Henry Makow PhD, in his article Bikini Vs Burka exposed the myth of western feminism. However, one would never hear news about Muslim feminists like Maryam Jameelah (Peggy) (Jewish New Yorker, who converted to Islam and lives in Pakistan) or Iran’s Zahra Rahnavad or Safynaz Kazem from Egypt, who are better qualified – but refuse to bash Muslim societies for the pleasure of the West.

The Toronto Star on July 3, 1990 published the hypocrisy of western women feminists, who could not bear the truth that women in Jewish and Christian religions are much more oppressed than in Islam. During the conference held in Montreal (Canada) on Women and Power – when famous Egyptian secularist feminist, Dr. Nawal El-Saadawi, stated in her address that “the most restrictive elements towards women can be found first in Judaism in the Old Testament and then in Christianity (in the New Testament) and then in the Qur’an. All religions are patriarchal societies and veiling of women is not specifically an Islamic practice but an ancient cultural heritage with analogies in the sister religions.” The participants could not bear siiting around while their faiths were being equated with Islam. “I must protest. There is no concept of veil in Judaism,” said Alice Shalvi of Israel Women Network. “Dr. Saadawi’s comments are unacceptable. Her answers reveal lack of understanding of other people’s faith,” said Bernice Dubois of the World Movement of Mothers.

Dr. Zahra Rahnavard was Chancellor of all-women Al-Zahra University (Tehran)on September 23, 1999 to 2006. She has Master degree in Arts and PhD in Political Science. She is author of more than 15 books and active in women rights in Iran. She married (1969) the former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi (1981-89) during Ayatullah Ali Khamenei’s (the current Rahbar) presidency. The post of “Prime Minister” has been abolished since then. She joined the study circle of Dr. Ali Shari’ati. In 1976, when Dr. Shari’ati was arrested by Shah’s regime – Dr. Zahra fled with her two children to the US. She returned to Iran just before the success of Islamic Revolution (1979). She also acted as political advisor to former Iran’s ‘reformist’ president, Ayatullah Mohammad Khatami.

I happen to have the record of conversation (1987) between Dr. Rahnavard and Egpt’s youngest Egyptian journalist Safynaz Kazem, who though wore Hijab – was called ‘communist’ and imprisoned three times by Egyptian authorites. In 1980 – she had to flee for supporting the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

Zahra: “Do you have the likes of Sayid Qutb still around?”

Safynaz: “Is it possible for there to be many of the likes of Sayid Qutb, the martyr?”

Zahra: “Of course not! I have read all of his publications, and I often refer to his book, Visual Art in the Qur’an, in my lectures.”

Safynaz: “What is your opinion on the subject of ‘terrorism,’ which is raised whenever the word ‘Islam’ is mentioned?”

Zahra: “Terrorism is embodied by the great powers, especially the US. Through their State terrorism which they have exported to all parts of the world, they have been behind the martyrdom of the great Muslim thinkers such as Dr. Ali Shari’ati, Murteza Muttahari, Ayatullah Beheshti, Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadir, Sheikh Raghib Harb, the family of martyr Faruqi, Sheikh Subhi al-Salih, and many others, as it is they who fanned the flames of the war forced on Iran, who bombed Libya and who were behind the murder of Sulaiman Khater and Khalid al-Islambouli and his brothers in Egypt.

Nor is that all. For American political factories in all areas of the world are at present engaged in training women who have put themselves in the service of the oppressors and the US interest through their conduct and attitudes and minds. We see them in the same trench with those who deceive people and their Islamic ambitions for their countries. It is impossible for America and taghooti states to tolerate a mujahid or mujahida. The have been at receiving end from all-sides. Consequently, whenever they see a Muslim woman who has risen to combat kufir, shirk and imperialism with conviction and with all her being – they spare no effort – through their stooges and their recruits – to portray her in a terrifying image in order to prevent her true personality, which is hostile to oppression, from becoming an example to be followed by other women. I have myself been suspected of terrorism and of training girls in terrorism. Perhaps the reason behind giving me a distorted image of terrorism goes back to my being the wife of the prime minister Hussain Musavi. In this way they want to level a charge of terrorism against the Islamic leadership as a whole. In me they found their opportunity, since I am an activist and since I have my own independent personality which had been known to the Iranian people before they knew my husband. That is because I worked in the cultural sphere in my own name and through my stand against the US and the Shah. My objective in all this was to oppose foreign and secular culture disorientation or disinformation against weaker nations and against the Muslim Ummah.

Safynaz: “How happy I am to find the wife of the prime minister achieve such a level of knowledge, awareness, civilization and siplicity.”

Zahra: “You should forget about wife of the prime minister bit, for as Imam Ali (as) said of power that is not worth a shoe! I and my husband are mujahids to the last drop of our blood – fighting side by side with the Muslims of the world for the sake of Islam and the Qur’an, and in confrontation of kufir and shirk embodied by the US, western imperialism and fellow travellers. My ambition is to see all Muslims rise on those lines until the day arrives when the world is transformed into an Islamic garden of faith, justice, and equality. They see it far away and we see it nearby.

I am also happy to meet a sister from mujahid Egypt – Egypt which produced Sayid Qutb, the martyr, martyr Khalid Islambouli and martyr Suleiman Khatir. May Allah preserve Egypt and set it on the road to Islam.”

Now compare these Muslim feminists to American feminist movement leaders, such as, Betty Naomi Friedan (d. 2006), Bella Savitski Abzug (d. 1998), Gloria Marie Steinem (b. 1934) and Gloria Rachel Allred (b. 1941) – to name a few. They all are Jewish, who support lesbianism and gayism worldwide. Some of them have been members of Communist Party and informers of CIA. They all teach their supporters to hate their husbands and children.